Broncs ride high at Penn Invitational

By Logan K. VanDine

On a cold and windy day in Philadelphia on April 6, Rider track and field raked in not only  individual first-place trophies, but top-five finishes in the Penn Invitational, a testament to the strong season. 

‘Great efforts in many areas’

“We had some nice, competitive performances today,” Head Coach Bob Hamer said. “The weather was challenging at times but the athletes stood up and gave great efforts in many areas.”

For the men, senior Artie Burgess competed in the 100 meters and finished with a time of 10.44 seconds to win first place in that category.

“After last week I was disappointed in my last 50 meters and in my 100 meters, so during practice this week I made sure to work on my ending,” said Burgess. “I executed it well in the race to help me win.” 

Hamer also spoke highly of Burgess’ first-place effort.

“Artie got a nice win in the 100 with a strong time. The MAAC [Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference] is really competitive in the 100 meters and it was nice to see him put up a time,” said Hamer.

Other notable performances for the men saw graduate student Marques Merriweather finish in third place in the 110-meter hurdle with a time of 14.52 seconds. In the high jump, Rider saw two of its own finish in the top five in the high jump, with sophomore Michael Palmer placing second at 1.96 meters and senior Zach Moyer finishing fifth at 1.91 meters.

“I personally feel content with my performance this past weekend,” said Palmer. “I’m excited for what’s to come this outdoor season as this meet was a great starting point for me.”

In the long jump, senior Zach Manorowitz finished with a mark of 7.13 meters and sophomore Josh Burgess at 7.02 meters, both ending in the top three. 

‘It’s been fun to watch’

The women also had a strong day, with a great start in the javelin throw as junior Savanna Marcantonio placed third with a mark of 37.34 meters. Senior Rachel Schwenk finished right behind her, placing fourth with a time mark of 34.98 meters. 

The day for the women also saw a strong showing from the discus throw, as senior Angelina Tapia came in first, with an NCAA Division I College Outdoor ranking of #80 after scoring a mark of 50.02 meters.

In the long jump for the women, sophomore Olivia Smith had a showing of 5.69 meters, ending in third place and junior Mariah Stephens finishing right behind her placing fourth with a mark of 5.68 meters.

“Smith had another really good day in the long jump,” Hamer said. “She is having a great outdoor season and it’s been fun to watch.”

Smith talked about her faith being the main motivation for her strong performance.

“Competing at a high level excites me, I love a good challenge,” said Smith. “Coming into meets I stand on my faith and compete with confidence and composure because I know that I can do all things through Christ.”

Up next for Rider is the Duke Invitational which is slated to begin from April 11 to the 13 in Durham, North Carolina.